Spring clamp



Sept 1968 J. B. KRUGER ETAL 3,402,442

SPRING CLAMP Filed May 11, 1967 United States Patent SPRING CLAMP James B. Kruger, Oxford, Douglas E. Sweeney, Middiebury, and Louis W. Le Page, Woodbury, Conn., assignors to Scoviil Manufacturing Company, Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 11, 1967, Ser. No. 637,703 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-255) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A one-piece spring clamp is made of a single ribbon-like strip of metal having a central spring loop, gripping jaws at the end of the loop and handles extending back from the jaws over and beyond the loop. The handles connect to the jaws with hollow reverse bends and a tongue is struck out of the strip at one of the bends to extend into a hole pierced through the strip at the other bend.

The invention is an improvement in a spring clamp which can be made economically from a single strip of material and which incorporates positive retention means in the region of the clamping jaws. It is especially adapted for holding aprons in place and one of the handles of each clamp may have a slot for holding a string or tape extending around the back of the user.

While some prior patents show clamps having somewhat the same general shape, there is nothing known which has all of the features desired for applicants purposes. The novel clamp has a central loop terminating in jaws, handles reversely bent over the loop and a simple and effective means for positively retaining the clamp in place without relying on friction grip alone.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a pair of our improved clamps as they may be used for holding an apron;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clamp;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the clamp in place on a garment;

FIG. 4 is a front end elevation;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the jaws open; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail in section through the clamp retention means.

As best seen in FIG. 2, our improved clamp consists of a single ribbon-like piece of metal having its midsection bent into the form of a loop 7. This loop is of spring metal and terminates in jaws 89 which are normally held closed by the spring action of the loop.

A pair of handles 10-11 extend back from the jaws 8-9, over a considerable distance beyond the loop 7. In the closed position, the handles may be touching or very 3,402,442 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 close to the loop 7. The handles are joined to jaws by hollow reverse bends 12-13.

An aperture 14 is cut out of the strip in the lower jaw 9 and this aperture may extend into the bend 13. A tongue 15 is struck out of the strip to extend from the upper jaw 8 into the aperture 14 when the jaws are closed. This tongue preferably has a pointed end 16 which is angled back toward the loop 7 so as to afford more positive retention of the clamp. An angularly directed slot 17 in one of the handles provides means for quick attachment to a string or ribbon 18.

To apply or remove the clamp, the handles are pressed toward each other as seen in FIG. 5 so as to open the jaws and move the tongue 15 away from the aperture 14. The piece of garment material indicated by the numeral 19 may then be placed between the jaws, and when the handles are released, the tongue 15 will penetrate the garment material so as to retain the clamp positively in place.

What we claim is:

1. A spring clamp consisting of a single sheet metal strip comprising (a) a mid-section of the strip bent to form a resilient loop;

(b) gripping jaws at the ends of said loop normally held closed by the loop;

(c) a pair of handles extending from said jaws over and beyond said loop adapted to be pressed against said loop to open said jaws, said handles being joined to said jaws by hollow reverse bends; and

(d) clip retention means consisting of an aperture in the strip in the region of one jaw at a first of said hollow reverse bends and a tongue struck out of the strip in the region of the other jaw at the other of :said hollow reverse bends and adapted to extend into said aperture and terminate within said first reverse bend when the jaws are closed.

2. A spring clamp as defined in claim 1 wherein said tongue is pointed and angled toward said loop.

References Cited 171,516 11/1921 Great Britain. DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner. 

